Well, at birth, mom and papa called their little boy Ned

Raised him on the banks of a riverbed

On a houseboat tied to a big tall tree

A home for my papa and my mama and me

The clock strikes three, and papa jumps to his feet

Already mama's cookin' papa somethin' to eat

At half past, papa, he's ready to go

He jumps in his pirogue, headed down the bayou

He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana rivers

Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat

He's settin' traps in the swamp, catchin' anything he can

He's gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man

Gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man

The muskrat hides hangin' by the dozens

Even got a lady mink, a muskrat's cousin

Got 'em out dryin' in the hot, hot sun

Tomorrow papa's gonna turn 'em into "mon"

Well, they call mama Rita and my daddy Jack

Little baby brother on the floor, that's Mack

Bren and Lin are the family twins

And big brother Ed's on the bayou fishin'

On the river floats papa's great big boat

And that's how my papa goes into town

It takes every bit of a night and a day

To even reach a place where the people stay

And I can hardly wait until tomorrow comes around

That's the day my papa takes the furs to town

Papa promised me that I could go

He'd even let me see a cowboy show

I saw cowboys and Indians for the first time then

I told my pop, "I've gotta go again"

Well, Papa said, son we've got lines to run

We'll come back again, but first there's work to be done

He's got fishing lines strung across the Louisiana rivers

Gotta catch a big fish for us to eat

He's settin' traps in the swamp, catchin' anything he can

He's gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man

Gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man

Gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man

Gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man

Gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man

Gotta make a living; he's a Louisiana Man